Steam generator



Aug. 15, 1944. H. w. MILLER STEAM GENERATOR Filed Jan. 28, 1942 3 Sheets-Shet l llll / Im'eflfor Harold "G /lie)" Miler vi army:

1944- H. w. MILLER 2,355,886

STEAM GENERATOR Filed' Jan. 28, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I m/enlor /9 haraz 43/2321 Miler Aug. 15, 1944. H. w. -MILLER 2,355,386

STEAM GENERATOR Filed Jan. 28, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 Inventor a Haw/a! warn/122e,

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Patented Aug. 15, 1944 STEAM GENERATOR Harold Walter Miller, Niagara Falls, N. Y., as-

signor of one-half to Michael Mohr, Niagara Falls, N. Y.

Application January 28, 1942, Serial No. 428,628

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in steam generators of the super-heater type.

The invention is designed with the principal object in view of providing simply constructed steam generating quipment of economical construction and operation and which is adapted for utilizing the maximum thermal capacity of injector type gas burners, and similar heating instru'mentalities.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of my improved steam generator in its preferred embodiment,

Figure 2 is a View in horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view in end elevation of the lower primary heating unit,

Figure 5 is a similar view of the upper secondary heating unit,

Figure'fi is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 66 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a view in Vertical central section taken through the combined supply tank and pre-heater and also through the feed pump, and

Figure 9 is a View in horizontal section taken on the line 99 of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, as illustrated therein, my improved generator comprises, as its basic elements, a lower primary heating unit I, an upper secondary heating unit 2 forming a super-heater, as will presently more clearly appear, a combined water supply and preheating unit 3, steam generating pipes 4, and a water pump 5.

The primary heating unit I has the form of a substantially rectangular, horizontally disposed casing with tapered ends 6 and a pair of tubular end air inlet flues at opposite ends thereof 1 axially aligned relatively and with respect to the horizontal axis of the casing. The casing of the primary heating unit I forms between the flues 6 a lower primary combustion chamber 8. The flues l are designed to contain injector-type gas burners, as at I, arranged to extend into the same suitably so that the proper volume of air may be drawn by the burners through the flues into the combustion chamber 8 to provide for proper combustion in the latter. The casing of the primary heating unit I, together with the fiues I, is formed of an outer shell 9 of suitable metal lined with heat insulation material lb of any desired type.

The secondary heating unit 2 is substantially a counterpart of the primary heating unit I, with exceptions presently noted, and the casing thereof forms between the flues I I of the unit an upper super-heater combustion chamber I2.

The combined water supply and pre-heating unit 3 has the form of a tank which is preferably located below the level of the primary heating unit I and closed, said tank including inner and outer shells I3, I4 of suitable metal and heat insulation material I5 between said shells. A heating coil I6 is provided in the tank of said unit 3 and from one end of which an exhaust pipe I! discharges out of the bottom of said tank. A pair of exhaust pipes I8 depend from the bottom of the casing of both the primary and secondary heating units I, 2 adjacent opposite ends thereof, respectively, each pair communicating with the combustion chamber of its respective limit and said pairs of pipes l8 being connected by laterals I9 to a downtake line 28 to the upper end of th coil IS. A water inlet pipe 2I from a suitable source, such as a condenser, not shown, extends into the top of the tank of said unit 3 and a water outlet pipe 22 extends laterally from said tank adjacent the bottom thereof with a return check valve 23 interposed therein.

The pump 5 may be of the vertically reciprocating plunger type including a cylindrical casing 24 upstanding beneath the primary heating unit I centrally thereof, a depending plunger 25 to which a suitable motor 26 is operatively connected, and a discharge pipe 21 arising from the upper end of the casing 24 with a back pressure valve 28 interposed therein.

The steam generating pipes 4 arise from a hollow header 29 located immediately beneath the bottom of the primary heating unit I centrally of the latter and with the bottom of which the pump discharge pipe 21 communicates, said pipes 4 extending upwardly through the casings of both said units I and 2 and through the combustion chambers 8 and I2 thereof, with their upper ends suitably fixed in the top of the casing of the secondary heating unit 2. Preferably the pipes I4 are arranged parallel and grouped transversely in rectangular arrangement.

On top of the casing of the secondary heating unit 2 is a dome 30 into which the pipes 4 discharge and which is provided with an outlet pipe 3| arising therefrom for conveying steam to a power source or the like. A suitable pressure relief valve 32 is interposed in said pipe 3! to permit steam under high pressure to discharge through the pipe 3|.

In the operation of the invention, water is pumped from the described combined supply and pro-heating unit 3 up the pipes 4 so as to fill said pipes. Any suitable control for automatically maintaining the pipes full may be provided, but, such controls being well understood in the art, it has not been deemed necessary to a complete understanding of the invention to illustrate such controlling means. As will be seen, the water is heated primarily in the combustion chamber 8 and as it rises is again heating in the combustion chamber [2. The products of combustion in the combustion chambers 8 and i2 pass through the coil is by way of the pipes l8, l9 and 28 and preheat the water entering the unit 3.

It may be stated, at this point, that the primary and secondary heating units l, 2 are spaced apart as described to provide for the use thereof separately as well as to facilitate operation of the secondary heating unit 2 as a super heater. For instance, for some types of low pressure eng nes low pressure could be supplied under operation of the primary heating unit i alone. In case the primary heating unit I failed, the secondary unit 2 could be substituted therefor. In the case of high pressure engines, the secondary heating unit 2 would of course be used as a super heater to supply, in conjunction with the primary heating unit I, the necessary high pressure steam. Loss of heat between said units 2 may be prevented by proper insulation jacketing of the pipes 4 intermediate said units, but, since insulation of steam pipes is usual, it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the same. By using injector type burners in the fines 1, H, the air heated thereby is blown against pipes 4 in the combustion chambers 8, l2 from opposite ends of the chambers to rise in said chambers before the products of combustion enter the exhaust pipes l8, l8 so that heat loss in the chambers is reduced to a minimum.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a steam generator, a pair of primary and secondary heating units, respectively, spaced apart and separate and each comprising an elongated casing forming a combustion chamber and having a pair of axially aligned air inlet flues at opposite ends thereof, injector-type burners in said flues, a header adjacent one of said units, steam generating pipes extending from said header through both units and combustion chambers transversely of the axis of said pairs of flues, a dome on the secondary heating unit into which said pipes open, a steam exhaust line extending from said dome, a pressure relief valve in said line for permitting the escape of steam through said line at a given pressure, and means to supply water under pressure to said header.

2. In a steam generator, a pair of primary and secondary heating units, respectively, spaced apart and separate and each comprising an elongated casing forming a combustion chamber and having a pair of axially aligned air inlet flues at opposite ends thereof, injector-type burners in said flues, a header adjacent one of said units, steam generating pipes extending from said header through both units and combustion chambers transversely of the axis of said pairs of flues, a dome on the secondary heating unit into which said pipes open, a steam exhaust line extending from said dome, a pressure relief valve in said line for permitting the escape of steam through said line at a given pressure, means to supply water under pressure to said header, and means to preheat such water by products of coinbustion from said combustion chambers.

3. In a steam generator, a pair of primary and secondary heating units, respectively, spaced apart and separate and each comprising an elongated casing forming a combustion chamber and having a pair of axially ligned air inlet lines at opposite ends thereof, injector-type burners in said flues, a header adjacent one of said units, steam generating pipes extending from said header through both units and combustion chambers transversely of the axis of said pairs of flues, a dome on the secondary heating unit into which said pipes open, a steam exhaust line extending from said dome, a pressure relief valve in said line for permitting the escape of steam through said line at a given pressure, and means to supply water under pressure to said header including a closed tank for storing water from a source of supply, a supply line from said tank to said header, and a pump in said supply line.

4. In a steam generator, a pair of primary and secondary heating units, respectively, spaced apart and separate and each comprising an elongated casing forming a combustion chamber and having a pair of axially aligned air inlet flues at opposite ends thereof, injector-type burners in said flues, a header adjacent one of said units, steam generating pipes extending from said header through both units and combustion chambers transversely of the axis of said pairs of flues, a dome on the secondary heating unit into which said pipes open, a steam exhaust line extending from said dome, a pressure relief valve in said line for permitting the escape of steam through said line at a given pressure, and means to supply water under pressure to said header including a closed tank for storing water from a source of supply, and means to preheat the Water in said tank bythe products of combustion in said combustion chambers comprising a heating coil in said tank, and pipe lines extending from said chambers to said coil.

HAROLD WALTER MILLER. 

